Commission OKs $39 M city budget

KATI BEXLEYStaff Writer

Published Friday, October 01, 2004

St. Augustine's finalized 2004-2005 budget of $39.3 million was passed Thursday by the City Commission.

The commission decided to keep the millage rate at 6.6 mills at its special budget meeting. A mill is equal to $1 of tax for every $1,000 of taxable property value. The commission also raised rates for utilities, solid waste and the municipal marina.

Solid waste rates will rise $2 per month. Bill Harding, city director of public works, said the city's solid waste fund had a deficit of $64,248 this year. To break even, the trash pick up and recycling fee must be raised $2 per customer, he said. The current rate is $13.66.

Also, the utility connection fee for new buildings will rise 6.2 percent for the average household.

Jason Sheffield, city general services group manager, said it's necessary to change the St. Augustine Municipal Marina's rates to renovate and expand that facility. The daily rate would increase from $1.50 to $1.60 per foot, and the weekly rate would change from $7.50 to $8 per foot.

The short-term monthly rate would rise from $12.50 to $16.50 per foot. The commercial rate, Sheffield said, has not changed in 10 years. It would raise from $12 to $14 per foot per month.

After balancing next year's budget, the city was left with an excess $146,000, said Mark Litzinger, city comptroller. The commission decided to spend the money on "wish list" projects.

Commissioners chose from a list of 16 items and added a few more of their own at a budget workshop in late August. At the workshop, the list shrunk to 11 items.

But before the commission passed the budget Thursday, Commissioner Bill Lennon opposed using it that way.

"The extra money I feel should go back to the ad valorem taxes," he said. "Then everybody gets a piece of the action."

Lennon did not attend the budget workshop because he was visiting Spain on behalf of the commission.

Commissioner Errol Jones questioned why the $146,000 shouldn't be split to help several areas of the city.

Lennon said that if the money is used on projects, all of it should pay for rebuilding brick streets downtown, such as St. George Street.

"It should be used in the place where it needs it the most," Lennon said.

The other commissioners did not agree with him.

"Rather than spread it out across the city, you want to put it all in the streets?" Commissioner Susan Burk said.

The project list includes the following:

Christmas decorations for the city's Night of Lights on King Street and San Marco Avenue: $10,000

Beautify Aviles Street: $6,000

Coquina concreting of streets adjacent to St. George Street: $10,000

Review and evaluation of city zoning. This would look at advertising, signage and the neighborhood and commercial districts.: $60,000